"The impact of this scholarship will help me mature as a person, educator, mentor, and tutor. I will work closely with my administrator to share my classroom experiences. I will have the capabilities to diagnose difficulties for children and young adults. I will also plan curricular approaches and deliver instructional programs. I will become familiar with issues, trends, and research that mark contemporary education."

"Teachers deal with social attitudes of society, financial issues, time scarcity, heavy workloads, poor working conditions, and parental support. Teachers are facing financial issues and cannot find a way to live comfortably. The schools have become overcrowded, the classes are large, and parental support is low in some areas. I accept these challenges with pride!"

"This scholarship will give me new tools to try out immediately in my classroom. I will share my newfound knowledge with my teaching colleagues and my special education co-teacher. I would join with our building Math committee and collaborate on professional development for our staff."

"Winning this scholarship would mean that I could strengthen my teaching and be more effective. I would have up-to-date knowledge of research based best practices and be able to immediately put those strategies to use in my classroom. It would be great to learn ways to incorporate and use technology in the classroom.This scholarship would mean meeting a personal goal and growing as a professional."

"From the time-worn challenges of grading, lesson planning and faculty meetings to the contemporary trials of ever-shifting curricula, counseling students to thrive in a complex world and often stepping in as parents, teachers' plates are full. This to say nothing of teaching in a global society and preparing our students to be responsible digital citizens. There's never been a more exciting time to teach, and that's exactly why I chose this profession in the first place."

"I hope to pursue a degree in Educational Leadership in order to help understand and build the systems within our school to make it a more effective place for our students to learn. Too often, teachers choose to admire their problems. This degree will augment my ability to work within the systems of public education to solve and prevent the problems we face."

"Today, teachers face multiple challenges including availability of technology, ethnic and cultural diversity, economic pressures, and even job security. The increasing cost of higher education and budget cuts compete with teachers' constant reiteration of the importance of education in today's world. Maintaining quality and rigor in education during financial downturns is challenging."

"Winning this scholarship would mean that I can complete a graduate degree which will enable me access to educational research, technology, and professional peers. This access will enrich my skill set in instructional strategies, translating to better teaching and learning in my classrooms."

"I am presently applying Bloom’s Taxonomy, the strategies of Robert Marzano, and Brain Based Learning strategies into my planning, instructional practices, and assessments; however the diverse needs of all my learners are still not being met. Through workshops and trainings, I am attempting to learn new strategies and techniques that will close the gap between my lower-performing students and those who are performing at or above grade level."

"Through parent involvement workshops, grade level and vertical team planning, and administrative data meetings with the building leadership team, I will share what I have gained through my master’s degree program to promote student achievement within the district as I have done in the past with professional development opportunities. I am a firm believer in the power of team collaboration, and I will bring more information to our students, administration, teachers, and parents that will empower everyone to take an active role in our students’ education."

"Teachers are called on to do more than just instruct their students. We must motivate, inspire and guide them. Students today have access to an incredible amount of technology and real world experiences. The challenge for today's teacher is to balance that access for our students so they are not overwhelmed and distracted by what the world has to offer, but enhanced by it all. Teachers must find ways to relate to today's youth so that our curriculum is both rigorous and relevant."

"The immediate effect of winning this scholarship will be seen when I apply the methodologies I learn in my Masters classes to my classroom and school. The lasting effect will be seen as I compile the data from my students and see how they succeed. I will be able to bring the knowledge and pedagogy that will motivate my teachers and staff to collaborate effectively."

"My colleagues and I are highly dedicated to our students and often work weekends, nights, and through illnesses to make sure our students are well taken care of and have the best instruction, experiences, and life lessons available to them. Being afforded the opportunity to learn more effective means of instruction, assessment, and planning means thirty-two other teachers would be right there at my door wanting to know what I have learned and if it is adaptable to their grade level."

"The most complex challenge teachers face today- in my opinion- is creating an optimal learning environment for a culturally proficient classroom in a technologically literate generation when resources are just less than plentiful, and still address individual needs through differentiation in less than six hours with the pressures of testing hanging over our heads. It takes a special kind of individual to take on a challenge such as this and still emerge the victor every year."

"My students hail from five different continents and English is a second language for a handful. Despite daily challenges, we are a happy, healthy community of learners. I take pride in having developed connections with each child and their family. I welcome the ethnic diversity in my class. I feel that when kids learn to appreciate differences at an early age, they’ll have a better chance in the ‘real world’."

"Budget cuts. I witness key support staff eliminated, new tech purchases put on hold, limited teacher training funds, reduced arts programs - yet blooming class sizes. Simply put, budget cut challenges mean teachers are stretched thin, and kids don’t get the same opportunities."

"I would be able to help more with the professional development in our school. I hope to share with the parents and the community when appropriate. Classroom evidence of my learning would be everywhere; the walls, mini-lessons, small group instruction, writer’s and reader’s workshop, new professional literature and children’s literature, but most of all student success, adding even more richness and depth to their learning."

"Winning this scholarship would be the opportunity to fulfill my craving to constantly develop myself professionally. It would give me more ways to reflect on my learning at home, in the classroom, with my students, their parents and my colleagues. I love to learn. It keeps me fresh, motivated, helps me to be a better teacher, and gives me more credibility with parents thus gaining their trust and support."

"Winning this scholarship would prove invaluable to me, but more importantly to my students. I am constantly stressing the importance of being a life-long learner to my kids and having this opportunity would give more weight to my claims! Personally, the scholarship would provide me with the financial assistance my family needs in order to further my career goals. This scholarship would be the opportunity of a lifetime."

"Currently, I provide support for the academic initiatives of my school, the district and the state frameworks while fostering the student’s knowledge of 21st Century Skills. Doing so enables my students to participate in real time collaboration between faculty, fellow students, and industry experts in a connected global community. Having this opportunity would allow me to ensure my students’ mastery the skills necessary for creative and critical thinking, innovative problem solving, and active collaboration."

"The challenges facing teachers today is to get students to understand that the knowledge they learn in their core subjects not only needs to be learned, but they need to apply it to new and different situations. Students also need to learn how to problem solve. Problem solving skills encompass creativity and critical thinking skills."

"My educational philosophy has been to make my students life long learners, productive workers, and responsible citizens. This can only happen when students learn not only knowledge, but the skills needed to apply that knowledge to the problems they will face in school and in life. I want them to see the problems and react by finding solutions because educators have given them the skills to think, apply, and solve."

"The scholarship will give me a sense of pride and responsibility in performing my duties to best serve my school, students and staff. The knowledge I gain from the degree will guide me in collaborating with my fellow teachers and administrators to provide quality education to our student population."

"The educational knowledge and experience I would gain through this scholarship will equip me with the skills necessary to identify and create solutions to the challenges my school and students face. I will learn effective instructional practices appropriate for our student population which I will model and pass on to our teaching staff. The transfer of knowledge will increase the confidence and repertoire of our teachers, mutually benefiting the students we serve."

"I would like to pursue a Master’s in Administration. I feel that many of the struggles educators are facing today will only be solved through a concerted effort by educators themselves. We must be able to see the bigger picture; not just how one student or classroom can be successful, but how our district can meet the challenge of educating tomorrow’s leaders."

"“Teachable moments” can’t be forced or created, but an atmosphere of wonder can be nurtured. Sparking the imagination is the key to learning; and both teachers and students are partners in this quest. As a master’s level teacher, I hope to gain additional insight and understanding to help create a school-wide learning environment where this can happen."

"I work with first and second grade economically disadvantaged students and/or students identified as having difficulty with reading. The students are reading below grade-level and are in need of intervention in order to be become successful readers. The students I teach receive intensive intervention and support with phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, phonemic awareness, and fluency."

"The education I will receive will provide me with the skills and knowledge essential to meeting the needs of our ever-changing society and educational system. I will be given the chance to learn the most recent trends and philosophies in education. I can share the knowledge I acquire with my peers, administrators, and students. The children I work with now will benefit by being taught by a teacher that is highly educated, qualified, motivated to learn, and strives to provide them with the best education possible."

"I would be able to pursue further learning in an area that is of great importance to the students I work with. I would have the tools at hand to assist my students in their educational careers and in their future pursuits. Additionally, I would be able to share my new knowledge with fellow staff members in my school and district to assist their classrooms' diverse learners."

"I would love to continue my education by obtaining a Master's in Teaching, with a specialization in K-12 Technology Integration. I work with students that either others have given up on or the students themselves have given up on as they have struggled for years with learning and experiencing the feeling of "failure". I want to continue my education so that my students (and others that I can impact) will experience the feeling of "success" through my newly gained skills. I want all students to realize that they can learn, especially in a technology supported way."